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Updated: 28 April 2020

Here we have listed the most Frequently Asked Questions by our customers. If you have any other questions you would like us to answer, please contact us via email or chat to us online using Live Chat. Unless you wish to discuss an emergency or have concerns about your ability to pay your rent, we ask you not to use our Customer Contact Centre number as this line is incredibly busy and we need to keep it free for emergency calls.

 

What are emergency repairs?

Emergency repairs are those that put the customer, a third party (e.g. neighbour or pedestrians on the street), or the building at risk.

Examples of emergency repairs could include:

• If you have no heating
• If you have no hot water
• Loss of electrical supply
• Security issues (doors or windows broken or damaged)
• Gas leak
• If your stairs become damaged (including handrails or banisters)
• Blocked drains or sinks
• Lifts in your home

This is not a complete list and we assess each repair individually to determine whether it is an emergency. If your repair is routine, we will take all the details from you but schedule it once the threat of Coronavirus has passed.

 

Will you still visit me at home?

Until further notice, we will offer you a phone or WhatsApp video call (where possible) appointment. If it is an emergency, we will discuss arrangements for a home visit with you, but this will only be undertaken in emergency situations.

 

I have lost my income because of Coronavirus and I may struggle to pay my rent, what should I do?

If you find yourself in this position, it is really important you speak to our income team as soon as possible.  They will be able to discuss the possible options available to you to secure additional income based on your personal circumstances.  If you cannot pay us in the short-term, we can set up a payment plan with you, but this depends on you contacting us as soon as you can. 

If you are self-employed or own a small business, we can advise you about the support the Government have announced as the details emerge.  Each case is considered on an individual basis so please get in touch and we will speak to you about options.  For more information about Government support visit the DWP website here.

 

I have a service booked (gas, fire safety) but I don’t want your Technician in my home in case they have Coronavirus. What should I do?

We have an ongoing duty to perform service checks on all our properties, this is to keep you safe. Until we are advised to stop undertaking safety services in your home, we will continue to complete them. You must allow us access to your home to complete this service, but we can put some measures in place to help reassure you.

Our Technicians are regularly washing their hands and using hand sanitiser. They will clean all surfaces they touch before leaving your property. You can allow access to your property, but you do not need to be in the same room as the Technician as they complete their checks therefore you can minimise contact with them.

If you are concerned about any aspect of this, please contact us and we can discuss individual measures we can put in place to reassure you.

 

I have suspected or confirmed Coronavirus. Will you still repair my home?

In an emergency, we will enter your home using protective clothing and make the emergency safe. It is essential you tell us in advance if you, or someone in your property, has a suspected or confirmed case of Coronavirus as this will help us plan what equipment we need for our Technicians. Each emergency is different, so our specially trained Technicians will identify what clothing and equipment they need once they arrive at your property.

If your repair is inside the property, we will ask you to isolate yourself from the area of repair for as long as possible before the repair takes place. We may ask you to undertake other measures, but these will be discussed with you before we arrive.

 

I am trying to get through to your Contact Centre, but the lines are busy. Can I contact you another way?

Firstly, thank you for your patience. We are experiencing very high call volumes in our Contact Centre and we are busy trying to help as many customers as quickly as we can.

If you have a question or query that is not an emergency, you can use our Live Chat function on our website, fill out our Contact Us form or send us an email contactus@magentaliving.org.uk.  Please do not contact us multiple times as this will result in a large backlog. The team are trying to get to everyone as quickly as we can, but we have to prioritise emergencies, so we thank you for your understanding.

If your query is not specifically related to your home, you can contact the Wirral Council Coronavirus Support Line on 0151 666 5050, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Wirral Council and partners have launched a new online resource to help match residents needs with local sources of support during the COVID19 situation. Wirral InfoBank asks residents what help they need, providing options for people to choose from. To find out what help is available for you or to offer support from you or your organisation, visit: https://www.wirralinfobank.co.uk/

 

What should I do if someone passes away during the pandemic?

Please contact us if someone living in one of our homes passes away during the pandemic and we can advise you of what you need to do in relation to their home.

Alongside contacting us, the Government have issued general advice about what you should do if someone dies during the pandemic. Please follow this link for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies

 

I am a carer/I have a carer, is there any support for me during this period?

The Wirral Health and Wellbeing service has launched a form for anyone who is/has a carer. Through this form you can tell them your concerns and support needs and they will see how they can help: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Wirralcarers-support

 

What should I do if I need urgent mental health help?

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership, NHS Foundation, have launched a helpline for those suffering with their mental health during COVID-19.

• Please call 0300 303 3972 and our dedicated local NHS staff will support you to access the help you need
   
• The helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is open to people of all ages – including children and young people
   
• The helpline is now the first port of call for mental health help – it is operated by people in your local area who will know how best to support you. If you call NHS111 you may have to wait longer for help and will be re-directed to this local service – so call 0300 303 3972
   
• Please note, A&E and 999 are not the best places to get help for the majority of mental health problems – call 0300 303 3972 to be directed to the best local service to support you
   
• You should still call 999 or go to A&E if you have an immediate, life-threatening emergency requiring mental or physical health assistance
   
• For non-urgent help and general wellbeing advice, the CWP website contains information and links to resources to support people with anxiety, low mood, and worries relating to the current Covid-19 pandemic www.cwp.nhs.uk
   
• For children and young people there is also a dedicated website mymind.org.uk

 

What should I do if I need urgent support for someone with dementia?

The Dementia Crisis Line at Age UK Wirral is available to call on 0151 488 7804. This will give you access to support from their Carer Support Team and Admiral Nurses.

 

I’m having problems topping up my electric/gas meter, what should I do?

Wirral Council has published some advice on its website for people experiencing problems with topping up their fuel supply during the COVID-19 crisis.  This can be found here:
https://www.wirral.gov.uk/housing/help-your-home/problems-topping-your-energy-supply-due-coronavirus-outbreak

The Council’s key message states that residents should try contacting their supplier, contact details are on the above link.

 

What can I do to help prevent infection?

Stay at home

• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
• If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home
• Do not meet others, even friends or family
• You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms

For further guidance on infection prevention and control, please visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control

 

What should I do if someone dies during the COVID19 lockdown?

Losing a family member or friend under usual circumstances can be difficult enough and we sympathetic to the additional stress for people who have lost a loved one during these unprecedented times. Please visit the governments website via the link below to find the latest step-by-step guidance on how you should handle the bereavement, please also see the  support available to you from Wirral Age UK below. 
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-help-and-support-if-someone-dies

 

Wirral Age UK has also created a new bereavement service that provides one-to-one support for individuals who need practical help including:

• Information and advice on rights, benefits, pensions and other services required following a bereavement
• Information, signposting and referral to other specialist agencies who can help
• Practical help and assistance
• Emotional support

To find out more and to access this support, visit:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/wirral/our-services/register-bereavement-support-service/

 

I would like to support my community and the NHS, what can I do?

The NHS has created a dedicated website for those both needing support and those able to offer their support. 

There's a wide variety of ways you could help support the NHS and people in our communities, from being a Check-In Chat Volunteer from the comfort of your couch to helping those less able as a Community Response Volunteer. 

Find out more about the volunteering roles available, here: 

https://volunteering.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/nhs-volunteer-responders-portal/volunteers#check-volunteer

 

 

I need food and/or sanitary products, who can help?

Magenta Living have donated £10,000 to support Wirral’s Emergency Food Hub network who has teamed up with Feeding Birkenhead Supporting Wirral and the Pink Box campaign to help residents get essential supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. To find out more and apply for support, please visit:

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/coronavirus-updates/emergency-food

 

I believe I am a victim of domestic abuse, what can I do?

Domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

 

How to get help:

• In an emergency always telephone 999
• If you need help to deal with domestic abuse or violence you can contact the Family Safety Unit on 0151 666 4914, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• National 24 Hour Domestic Abuse helpline - call free on 0808 2000 247 National Domestic Violence Helpline website
• For signposting and information on how to get support for yourself or a loved one in Wirral visit itsneverokwirral.org.

Local support services that can also offer support:

• Tomorrow Women Wirral
• Involve Northwest
• Wirral Women and Children’s Aid
• WEB Merseyside
• RASA Merseyside

Updated: 26 March 2020

We have included some general information about Coronavirus in this section. There is a lot of information on Social Media and in the news and not all of it is accurate. We would recommend using trusted sources for your information, and we have included some suggested websites for you.

 

What do the acronyms being used mean? 

Acronyms

WHO	World Health Organisation
PHE	Public Health England
ML	Magenta Living
Coronavirus  /Covid-19	Are both terms used for the same viral infection. Throughout these FAQs we have used the term Covid-19 for simplicity.

 

 

Useful Websites

• NHS symptoms checker
• Public Health England 
• Government’s coronavirus action plan
• NHS Coronavirus (Covid-19) overview
• World Health Organisation Frequently Asked Questions about the Coronavirus 

 

What is Coronavirus, and why is it a pandemic?

Information about Coronavirus can be found on the NHS website.

This is the most up to date information available, so we urge anyone with even mild flu-like symptoms to review this information frequently.

The Coronavirus outbreak has been labelled as a pandemic by the WHO. Pandemic is a term that is used to describe an infectious disease where we see significant and ongoing person-to-person spread in multiple countries around the world at one time.

There is no vaccine or treatment that can prevent it, so containing the spread is vital.

 

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?

You can find the latest symptom information by visiting the NHS website.

 

In summary, the symptoms are:

• Cough
• Fever
• Shortness of Breath

If you think you may have any of the symptoms described, you should visit the online symptoms checker.

The video created by the BBC below is a useful video explaining the symptoms.

 

Should I self-isolate?

The guidance on self-isolation is changing regularly, therefore we would recommend you visit the NHS 111 online service where advice will be available.

If you are showing symptoms of Coronavirus and you live alone, you should self-isolate for 7 days.

If someone you live with is showing symptoms, all members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days (or 7 days from the date you yourself shows symptoms).